One of Steven Gerrard’s biggest decisions against Rapid Vienna tonight will be whether to play Kyle Lafferty or Alfredo Morelos. Which one is the ideal pick for tonight?
It’s dependant on a few variables really, and how you view the game tonight. Are Rapid a side where Rangers should be up and at them and looking to get in the faces of? Or is this going to be a lot trickier than many think and requires a big target man?
Despite us at Rangers News previously championing the idea of two up top, I was happy to go back on that after Sunday. Both men supremely underperformed as a partnership, and not for the first time.
Gerrard may even still stick with the duo tonight and play two up top. The Rangers manager has claimed he doesn’t want the Gers to wait before taking the game to Rapid. You have to imagine the Gers boss is of the mind that this game is one Rangers must get on the front foot with early doors.
In that case, you’ve got to imagine that Morelos will be his number one choice. The Colombian front-man hasn’t missed a must-win game for Rangers this season. The only mtches he has missed have been enforced due to suspension. There hasn’t been a big game this season where Morelos hasn’t been on the teamsheet.
Who is the number one?
Yet, it’s difficult to ignore the impact Lafferty had in Villarreal. Morelos was suspended for the trip to El Madrigal. A patched-up Gers side managed to go to Spain and get a sensational 2-2 draw. Lafferty’s goal was a huge moment that night, and gave Rangers a lot of self-belief.
But it’s not like the Northern Irishman has always been as prolific in Europe. In fact, that was his first Gers goal on the continent. Morelos, on the other hand, had already scored in the qualifiers beforehand. He has never, however, scored in the group stages of European competition.
Neither are particularly in-form either. Morelos would be if you had to pick one, but the confidence that Sunday’s Livi loss drained from everyone can’t be underestimated.
Rapid have a new manager in place in Dietmar Kuhbauer, and will look to be well-disciplined. For us, it has to be Morelos tonight despite Lafferty’s Villarreal exploits. The Colombian is such a dangerous penalty-box striker, even if he sometimes comes a little too deep for possession.
He remains Rangers’ biggest goal threat, and that’s what Gerrard needs on the pitch tonight. It’s a huge game in the context of qualification from the groups, and Morelos has it in him to fire Rangers to success.
Do you agree with us on Morelos? Are we talking absolute nonsense and Lafferty should get the nod? Or should Gerrard even stick with two strikers tonight?
Let us know who you would go for in the comments.
